News

Law Office of Sheldon J. Schlesinger, P.A. Attorneys Win $12.6
million Medical Malpractice Verdict Against UM School of Medicine
After 10 Year Long Fight

Firm defends young girl who lost her arms and
legs when doctor gave her expired vaccine

Ft. Lauderdale, FL – (January 13, 2011)—A Miami Dade
Circuit Court jury today handed down a $12.6 million award to a
15-year old girl from Miramar who lost all of her limbs as a child
when she was given an expired vaccine by the University of Miami
School of Medicine. The verdict ends a long ordeal for Shaniah Rolle,
who first filed suit 10 years ago. The trial opened on December
3, 2011 before Judge William Thomas and lasted approximately one-and-a-half
months. The teen’s lead attorney was Crane Johnstone of Schlesinger
Law Offices, P.A.. He was assisted in court by attorneys Charles
Patrick and Sheldon J. Schlesinger, founder of the law firm.

On October 5, 1998, when Shaniah was just over two years old, she
was taken by her mother to the medical school’s pediatric
practice, for a wellness checkup. During that visit, a medical assistant
administered a special vaccine given to people without spleens,
but the vaccine had been expired for five months. The girl’s
spleen, along with some other organs, had been removed as a newborn
due to complications with her intestinal tract at the time of birth.
Eight months later, in June of 1999, Shaniah became extremely ill
and was rushed to Jackson Memorial Hospital. A blood culture test
determined that she had a serious bacterial infection throughout
her body which led to a condition that caused her body to form serious
blood clots in her extremities. Then after developing dry gangrene,
doctors were forced to amputate both of the child’s legs and
arms above the joints.

“Shaniah did not have a spleen, so her immune system was weakened
and she was vulnerable to potential deadly bacterial infections
that wouldn’t affect otherwise healthy people,” said
Johnstone. “Because this vaccine was five months expired,
it failed to protect Shaniah from the very bacterial infection that
it was designed to prevent. As a result, this amazing girl now lives
without her arms and legs.”

In addition to finding the medical school negligent of medical malpractice,
the jury also found Dr. Jeffrey Bosco, who treated the girl, liable
as well. Several other doctors named in the suit were not found
liable.

“It may have taken a long 10 years to bring this case to a
jury, but Shaniah finally got justice today,” said Sheldon
J. Schlesinger. “I applaud the jury’s decision.”